St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-21
STRAY SUNBEAMS.

That was notable gathering in New York
the other day when the trustees Of the PEA
BODY Educational fund assembled at the Fifth
Avenue hotel to go through their annual rou-
tine of closing up accounts for the past year
and making appropriations for the next.
The assembly consisted mainly of the '.have
beens' in our national history-men who
once enjoyed fame, but have been resting on
a shelf for good while.
-
First and foremost among them was ex-
President RUTHERFORD b. HAYES, who is now
scarcely more than a "reminiscences of the
past, and who devotes a large share of his
ripening years to educational and phiian-
thropic work. The most striking figure and
character of the group was the venerable
Ex-Governor ROBERT G. WINTHROP, of Massa-
chusetts, who is one of the very few remain
ing links to connect the present generation
with the past. Mr.. WINTHROP was speaker of
the national house of representatives before
nine-tenths of the present population of this
country were born.
Another historic figure in the group was
that of ALEXANDER H. H. STUART, of Vir-
GINA once famous Wing leader and who
was called to the interior department port
folio in the cabinet of WILLARD FILLMORE be-
fore any other selection was made Mr.
STUART's last appearance in public life was
when he went to Washington early in SCI
as peace commissioner from Virginia to
act in conjunction with CRITTENDEN and
other Southern UnioniSts in al effort TO stay
the tide of war. Their endeavors were fruit
less, and from that time ''Sandie'' STUART
dropped out of public view.
~
Chief Justice MORRISON r. WAITE is an
other member of the PEABODY board, being
one of the original appointees under the
trust. Judge WAITE makes it a point to at
tend all the meetings of the trustees and
probably knows more about the Ca5eS that
this great educational fund has been applied
to than any one else on the board, unless it
be Gov WINTHROP and Bishop WHIpPLE, of
Minnesota, both of whom have been identi-
fed with Judge WAITE in the administration
of this fund from the beginning. Judge
WAITE is getting along well in years, but
still finds time from the multiplicity of iu-
dicial cares which his high office imposes
upon him to give attention to educational
matters and is particularly interested in the
education of the colored race in the South.
**
A New York paper thus speaks of Mime
sotas representative on the PEABODY board:
Bishop WHIPPLE, of Minnesota, was notice
able by reason of his great height, exceeding
spareness and black garb. He dresses en-
tirely in black broadcloth. His coat has cleri-
cal cut at the neck, is single-breasted and the
skirts reach below the knee. His hat is soft
Western felt, worn like an itinerant preach
er's. With lean and sallow, smooth-shaven
face and long struggling locks of once Jet
black, but now iron gray hair, falling on the
shoulders, the eloquent prelate looks like one
of the gaunt fathers of New England who
came over in the Mayf1ower''
Among the other members of the PEABODY
board are Senator EyABTs, of New York DR..
CURRY, United States minister to Spain.
Judge MANNING, of Louisiana, Gen. H. r.
JACKSON, of Georgia, and Ex-Governor PoR-
TER, of Tennessee. The PEABODY fund is
not only the most notable charity, but is adj
ministered by board composed of the most
notable men of any similar institution in the
world.